Hundreds of construction firms across the country stopped work Thursday, April 9, 2020, to hold what are called safety stand downs focusing on ways to protect construction workers and the public from the spread of coronavirus. The safety stand down, which was organized by AGC of America, was designed to make sure firms and workers are taking measures outlined by public health and safety officials to protect workers on active construction sites and the public.

Few industries are as well suited to protecting workers as the construction industry. Contractors are used to following complex and ever-changing safety rules and finding ways to make inherently dangerous work safe. The coronavirus has forced firms to change the way they operate to maintain that commitment to safety. AGC of America has developed a new website designed to highlight how the construction industry is working to protect construction workers and the public from the spread of the coronavirus. This new site, workingsafe.agc.org, highlights many of the steps firms are taking to protect workers and includes photos of different examples of these practices.

With coverage of the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak continuing to dominate the news, AGC of America has put together this resource page to share accurate, reliable and updated information to help members take a proactive approach and plan/prepare accordingly. The association will continue to monitor the situation and update the information accordingly.

If your firm is working on a construction project that is contributing to the expansion of the nation's health care capacity during the COVID-19 crisis, please consider sharing photos and videos with AGC of America by emailing Brian Turmail, vice president of public affairs & strategic initiatives, at brian.turmail@agc.org. Your work is making a difference and we want to hear about it!

 

AGC of America recently announced that the Trump administration released new guidance that now allows firms with 500 or fewer employees to qualify for the new Paycheck Protection Program Loans. Association officials noted that the administration released the new guidance after the association raised concerns over the weekend that many firms that employ 500 or fewer employees appeared to be excluded from the program.

 

With the COVID-19 pandemic worsening by the week, an ever-increasing share of contractors are reporting cancellations of upcoming projects and shortages of equipment or materials, forcing nearly 40 percent of firms to lay off employees, according to an online survey released April 10, 2020 by AGC of America. Association officials added that 74 percent of firms are seeking new Paycheck Protection Program loans and urged Congress to quickly add more funding for the over-subscribed program, among other recovery measures needed.

The exponential growth of big data has had a profound effect on the heavy building materials industry. Per Techjury, every person this year will generate 1.7 megabytes of data in just a second. In 2019, internet users generate about 2.5 quintillion bytes of data each day.

The demands of the construction industry continue to increase. Projects are more complex, delivery methods continue to evolve, schedules are increasingly tighter, and pressure on margins continue. Success in this environment requires a plan that will secure adequate work with reasonable margins that can be delivered in a consistent, predictable manner.

National Apprenticeship Week — held last November — is a big deal for the construction industry. Approaching its sixth year, this nationwide celebration gives businesses, communities and educators the opportunity to showcase their apprenticeship programs and apprentices while providing valuable information to career seekers.

Through its stand-out communication plan, one AGC chapter is changing hearts and minds
 

Common topic in construction workforce development circles is the need for a communication plan that does two things: 1) promote construction careers in a manner that makes them more desirable to a younger population, and 2) overcome misconceptions influencers (partners, teachers, mentors) have regarding skilled trade careers. This is no different in Oregon.

With so many construction firms relying extensively on telecommuting and remote access, prioritizing cybersecurity and system resilience may be more important now than ever. Contractors are vulnerable to many forms of cyberattack, including social engineering, ransomware attacks, wire fraud, and hacking.  On the latest episode of AGC’s ConstructorCast, Nikki Ingram, a cybersecurity risk engineer with Zurich North America, talks about what you need to look out for and shares some tips and preventative measures that will help contractors protect themselves. Subscribe to AGC’s ConstructorCast on your podcast app, or stream online at www.agc.org/ConstructorCast.

 

The design-build team of Tarlton Corp., a member of multiple AGC chapters, working for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, completed conversion April 11 of a Florissant, Missouri, hotel into an alternate health care facility to treat non-acute COVID-19 patients. The facility, if needed, would serve as backup for patients referred by St. Louis-area hospitals and would be staffed by members of the Missouri National Guard.

 

A critical care solution to the shortage of hospital beds due to the coronavirus pandemic is being introduced by leaders in the healthcare construction market. The STAAT Mod™ (Strategic, Temporary, Acuity-Adaptable Treatment) is a prefabricated modular solution designed by HGA, a national multidisciplinary design firm and is being constructed by The Boldt Company, a member of multiple AGC chapters, for immediate distribution nationwide. It can be deployed in diverse environments from convention centers to free-standing hospital expansions. A focus of these units is the safety of healthcare workers treating patients with COVID-19.